POWERGRAMS

16 PROFILE First female vice president recalls Cheryl Thompson won't ever be accused of letting grass grow under her feet. Her drive and her wits landed her a position with Alabama Power in 1972 right after earning a degree at Auburn University. Born in Alexander City, Thompson graduated valedictorian of Hackneyville High School's largest class ever – 42 students – in 1966. She went to what is now Central Alabama Community College in Alexander City then transferred to Auburn University. "I am the oldest of six children and a first-generation college graduate," she said, explaining that her dad enrolled at Auburn University after World War II but chose work over college after she was born. "All my siblings but one completed college, and the one who did not had health issues. I grew up loving Auburn; it was close and affordable." And it was her drive and wits that led to Thompson in 1998 becoming the first woman to be named a division vice president for Alabama Power. Her success led to opportunities for others. Eric Paerson, Mobile Division accounting manager during Thompson's tenure as VP, said her commitment to people and the Mobile community helped make her an effective leader. "She understood the importance of getting to know the people in Mobile, understanding what their needs were relative to the power company and how we, as a company, could make our home a better place in which to live and work," he said. "Throughout her time here, Cheryl and (husband) Jerry immersed themselves in the Mobile community and supported all aspects of life in Mobile. She encouraged community involvement, whether it be serving on boards for various organizations or coaching Little League Baseball teams, she was 'all in,' to coin the phrase from her beloved Auburn University." Thompson retired in 2010. She and Jerry alternate between living in Port St. Joe, Florida, and Auburn. Thompson recently slowed down long enough to answer some questions about her time with Alabama Power. How's retirement? Retirement is great. We are healthy, have traveled to seven continents, garden, spend time with friends and family, and are avid Auburn sports fans. I belong to two book clubs. I am grateful for and savor each day. What do you miss about APC? The people, of course. What do you appreciate about being the company's first woman to be a division vice president? I am proud that I did my job well enough that other women were able to have more opportunities. I can't say I thought a lot about being the first woman in the job, though I put a lot of pressure on myself because I was visible as a woman in a prominent job. What was it like in the days before a woman reached that level? Was there a sense of frustration or were you hopeful the right people would do the right thing once the right candidate came along? I was always hopeful, preparing myself to be competitive and working to perform well in the jobs I had. I started to work in 1972, and it was a time of great change in the workforce in general. The only jobs for women at Alabama Power were clerical jobs, company nurse and Home Service adviser. What could we aspire to within APCo? Angie Webb and Kathryn McBryde were the first women to move from Home Service adviser to sales representative. They did a great job, then I was the third, I think, and others soon followed into those jobs and others. Why you? Was it your experience, a great interview, the job and location, or was it the timing? In my experience, what was frustrating or disappointing at the time often turns out to be the lever for a new opportunity if one stays positive and doesn't let it affect performance. For example, a reorganization of Birmingham Division and the loss of my district manager position – I joke that I had the shortest tenure ever, from October to March – led to a chance to get some corporate marketing experience working for Gail Willis and then to a region manager job at Georgia Power. If not for that reorganization, I might have passed up the chance for experience at a sister company and to work for Jim Manley and Gene Hodges. I really enjoyed that job in Statesboro, Georgia, and had no idea of moving until I was asked to return. The idea of being a division vice president was not on my radar at all. By then, I had experience, a track record, was willing to move and was in the right place at the right time. And I was fortunate to have worked with people like Mike Garre, Alan Martin, Banks Farris, Mike Sco, Bill Cooper and others who had confidence in me. Having women leaders is not the oddity today that it was in those days, but how do you assess workplace opportunities for women today vs. 40 years ago? Living in Auburn I meet a fair number of women students. It's exciting to think of the many opportunities they have now compared to 40 years ago, especially those in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Certainly, there are more opportunities, but there are still challenges for women in the workforce. Thompson speaks at company event in 2006. The Thompsons visiting the Petra site in Jordan.

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